The Four Stages of Life
by rasclieboobear
Summary: Shirakiin Ririchiyo, the girl with seven billion walls and vices, opens herself up slightly, only to find herself going through the four painful stages of life: love, pain, hate, and numbness.


**Maybe He Can Learn**

I never would have expected myself to fall in love. Shirakiin Ririchiyo, the girl with a billion walls and vices fell in love with somebody. It should be impossible, right? How could someone such as me fall in love when I can barely properly talk to other beings? But I did- I actually fell in love. I don't know how it happened. Miketsukami Soushi just wiggled his way in. He broke through the walls as if they were made out of paper beads, and then he took me away. I guess I never realized how beautiful it was outside of those walls.

* * *

"Shirakiin Ririchiyo," a voice boomed. I slowly rose from my seat before rigidly holding myself up. I looked into the red eyes of the enemy- the teacher.

"Yes, Sensei (1*)?" I asked, my voice sounding much more confident than I felt.

"Would you please come up here and share your presentation with us?" I smirked before giving a sudden nod of my head. I strolled to the front of the room with my chin held high in the air. "Now, what was your topic?"

I snorted. "I planned to show you peasants what it was like to live within a rich family- all the luxuries and 'inconveniences' of being rich," I informed, receiving many crude whispers from the class. I wrinkled my nose. "Since none of you seem interested, though, I won't share my wonderful presentation with you. You don't deserve it anyway." _I did it again. I was rude and gave off a bad feel. No one likes me… and it's all my fault._ I was going to sit down before I further ruined my reputation when a voice called out.

"You think there are inconveniences to being rich?" it asked. This voice did not hold any anger or sarcasm. This voice sounded sincere and interested. I looked at its owner. The white-haired boy that was looking at me held such curiosity in his eyes. I noticeably flinched.

"Miketsukami-kun, you know there are. Don't act like you don't live a rich life as well," I snidely remarked before seating myself. _He's so blindly kind which makes him so blindly stupid. He always tries to help me when I'm in a bit of trouble. How absurd. No one can help me. I've harboured these vices for longer than I can remember. Simply holding out a hand to me will not make them disappear._

The teacher called up the next person to deliver their presentation. She didn't even bother to say anything about my rude behaviour. She didn't even bother to ask about my presentation. She didn't even bother to care about me. No one ever did. They only cared about my family. If they could manage to get in a good word to my family, they always think there's some reward. My family isn't stupid; they know people only treat me kindly to suck up to my family. It's been like this for as long as my family has had youkai in its family line.

* * *

"Ririchiyo-sama!" a voice called out to me. I looked over to find Miketsukami-kun walking over to me, Natsume-san close behind. He looked a little messy, like he'd been out for a run. He was sweaty and panting. Natsume-san, on the other hand, was smiling and looked as if he had just woken up from a nice and peaceful nap, which he probably had.

"What is it, Miketsukami-kun?" I asked. He smiled and continued to walk closer, but I stopped him. "No, stay where you are. You're all gross and sweaty. I don't want to be next to you," I stated. His expression dropped, and he looked to the ground. _Ah, did that really hurt his feelings that badly? I didn't mean to._

"Well... I'm sweaty because I was looking for you. You wandered away right after class, so I tried to find you. Thankfully, I ran into Natsume-san to help me find you, or I may have been looking for you for the whole night," he mumbled.

"Miketsukami-kun?" I repeated. His face lit up at the sound of his name being called, and he looked at me. _Thank God._ "What did you want from me? You must have wanted something."

"I was wondering if you wanted to walk home together with Natsume-san, Kagerou-sama, and Onii-sama," he offered, a bit of a whine in his voice. He looked so hopeful. _Don't look at me like that. You can't help me. Remember that, Ririchiyo; he can't help you._ Natsume-san was looking away, pretending he wasn't part of the situation, but it was obvious he was pitying his little Sou-tan. _That's right, Natsume-san. Miketsukami-kun is talking to the wretched Shirakiin Ririchiyo. Does she disgust you? Does she make you pity her? Hmm? How do you feel about her? Those feelings must be all negative, right?_

"My **sincerest** apologies," I hissed, sarcasm dripping from every word, "but I already have a ride home. My SS is coming to pick me up." _What a lie. Can I not turn down an offer in a nicer way? I'm so sickening; I disgust myself sometimes._

"Oh!" he exclaimed, his eyes quickly losing their light. _But he's keeping his damn smile._ "That's okay, Ririchiyo-sama. I'll walk home with those three. I told my SS I wanted the exercise. Uh, see you at home," he said, turning to go home. _That's right. Just go home. Don't try to find out why I'm so rude. Don't try to find out_ _ **when**_ _my SS is picking me up. Don't bother to see if I'm happy. You try so hard to get in, but you turn around the moment I turn you down._ He was a coward in my eyes, a coward who tried to be a hero. _How shameful._

* * *

 _I really shouldn't have lied about having a way home, though._ I had told my SS I would get a cab or ask one of the others at school, but Sorinozuka Renshou, Shoukiin Kagerou, and Natsume Zange had walked home with Miketsukami-kun. I couldn't exactly ask them to take me home. Yukinokouji Nobara disappeared before I even had a chance to ask her. Roromiya Karuta and Watanuki Banri went off on a date, which I was not going to interrupt. The cab option wasn't even really an option; no cabs would be near our school, and I couldn't walk home. I didn't know the way. I sighed. _I wish my SS had a phone, so I could call them._

As I looked up into the night sky, I noticed that there were no stars out. It was a very cloudy night. A few tears touched the brims of my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away before they fell. I would not cry over the absence of that coward or those silly other six.

"Ririchiyo-sama," a voice called out to me. I froze.

"M-Miketsukami-kun?" I wondered, looking up to find two eyes- one blue and one green- staring back. They held so much sadness in them. _I don't know what to do... Why are they so sad? He looks like he'll cry._

"Why did you lie to me?" he asked me. "Why? I could have taken you home. You could have walked home with the four of us." I shrugged my shoulders and looked to the side.

"Are you trying to guilt me into apologizing about earlier? I guess I should, so I am sorry about being rude to you in class earlier," I mumbled. I really was sorry. _But it came out wrong. Like always._

Miketsukami-kun just smiled. _That damn smile._ "Thank you for your apology, Ririchiyo-sama," he gratefully replied. "Let's go home, though. It'll get dark soon." So we walked home together.

The walk home was almost completely silent, Miketsukami-kun only saying something here and there. A simple "Are you okay?" or "Wow, the sky is beautiful." It was almost pathetic how hard he tried and how badly he failed. I stayed silent the whole walk; I knew I would only say how pathetic his attempts seemed if I opened my mouth even a millimeter.

* * *

"Shirakiin Ririchiyo, sit down right now!" a voice demanded. I quickly scurried to a seat in the living room. Miketsukami-kun hurriedly wandered to some other room in the house. I smirked. _Coward._ "What are you smirking for, missy?" I immediately stopped smirking.

"Koi-kun (2*), I'm sorry! I wasn't smirking at you," I pleaded. Kokenkashikoi Senbi (3*) was the only one who was able to get through my walls. Even then, he didn't exactly do it in the nicest ways. He was a very strict SS, always treating me like a child. He was probably more fit as my father than my SS. At least he managed to get nice reactions from me. No one else was capable of that.

"You are to refer to me by my first name, not a little nickname, whenever I am discussing a serious topic" he ordered. _You let me call you Koi-kun when you're in a good mood, though. I like Koi-kun a lot better than Senbi-kun... Senbi-kun is too strict and scary. Koi-kun is fun and outgoing and very considerate towards how I am feeling._

"Ah, sorry, Senbi-kun (4*)!"

"Better. Now, explain to me why you are four and a half hours late from coming home? It's nearly dark outside!" he commanded. I shuttered. Even though he spoke in a quiet voice, it felt like he was shouting.

"W-well…"

"Well, what?"

"Karuta-chan and Watanuki-kun went on a date; I couldn't go with them! And Yukinokouji-san disappeared before I could ask her! I was going to get a cab, but none passed by my school! I couldn't walk because I didn't know the way back home!" I hurriedly explained. Koi-kun visibly darkened.

"What about the other four?" he further interrogated.

"Well. I, uh, you know, like, didn't, um, want, you see," I stuttered, trying to find an excuse. Koi-kun sighed. "No, I understand why, Ri-chan. You and your vices…" I slumped further into my chair.

"I'm sorry, Koi-kun." He smiled at me. I hesitantly gave a small smile back. _Koi-kun understood me._

"Now go upstairs and do your homework. I need to make tonight's dinner," he ordered me. I obeyed and went into my room to do my homework.

Dinner that night was delicious. Everyone was hungry after waiting four and a half hours for dinner, though, so the meal was quick. After eating, Koi-kun ordered me to get ready to bed. In bed, I found myself repeating the day's events in my head. _Perhaps Miketsukami-kun isn't_ _ **that**_ _stupid, but he's nowhere near Koi-kun's level of intuition. Maybe Miketsukami-kun can learn to see through my walls a little better, but right now, he needs to work at it a lot harder than he has._ I fell into a sleep full of puzzling dreams.

* * *

 **So, this fanfiction is actually based off of a theory my friend has on life. She claims that there are four stages to life. The first is love, the second is pain, the third is hate, and the fourth is numbness. It honestly freaked me out how accurate it seemed, this never-ending circle of 'life.' As a result, this came to be. This is an AU where all the others are in the same grade as her. As a result, the SS of the group will not be SS, but more residents. Their SS might not have too much character development, seeing as I am making OCs for the SS. They also live in an actual house, not Maison de Ayakashi.**

 **Mind you, I began to write this when I was half asleep, so there are probably grammar errors here and there and everywhere. Blegh.**

 **Remember, please read and review! Story ideas are always welcome~**

 **(1*) Translation: teacher**

 **(2*) Her nickname for him because his name is too long with too many Ks.**

 **(3*)** **Koken** (後見) **means** **guardian. Kashikoi** (賢い) **means sharp or smart. Senbi** (船尾) **means stern.**

 **(4*) Last names are first in Japanese. First names are last.**


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